Ventilating system



y 1 3 J. M. VER MEULN' ET AL 2,165,593

VENTILATING SYSTEM Filed Jan. 2'7, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS. a s M M ,QZa J 7e Bu Z2 a n r EQ ZZQ A TTORNEYS.

y. 93 J.M.VER MEUL NHAL 2,165 593 VENTILATING SYSTEM Filed Jan. 27, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W11 new INVENTORS.

James M. l erMeu/en o{ Glen Euc/zer A TTORNEYS.

Patented July 11, 1939 UNITED STATES VENTILATIN G SYSTEM James M. Ver Meulen and Glen Bucher, Grand Rapids, Mich, assignors to American Seating Company, of New Jersey Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation Application January 27, 1936, Serial No. 60,957

11 Claims.

The instant invention relates to ventilating systems and more particularly to ventilating hoods for flues in such systems which are especially in use in theatres, civic auditoriums and other similar public and semi-public buildings.

The primary objects of the present invention are to provide a novel ventilating system for buildings of the character above indicated; to provide a hood for each of a number of flues each having a damper that may be readily and conveniently adjusted; to provide such a ventilating system whereby the hood for the flue is arranged both for convenient cleaning of the floor and is likewise arranged to provide considerably more room for the feet of occupants of the chair under which the hood is disposed and for the feet of occupants in the chair rearwardly thereof; to provide such a ventilating system having a plurality of flue hoods each having a series of stepped baiiles so as to permit of greater difiusion of air; to provide a ventilating system having a plurality of flue hoods having a series of angularly declined bailles so as to diffuse the air downwardly toward the floor before it rises; and, to

provide novel means for constructing ventilating systems of the character herein described.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a view partially in section showing the ventilating flues set in the floor of the hall or auditorium above a plenum chamber, the several hoods above their respective flues being retained beneath the fixed seats in the theatre or auditorium between the front and rear legs of the seat standard;

Figure 2 is a sectional view thereof on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a flue and its damper set within the floor of the building disposed above a plenum chamber;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view on line 44 of Figure l; a

Figure 5 is a sectional view thereof on line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional View thereof on line 66 of Figure 4; and

Figure 7 is a view showing the several parts I of the flue and its hood before they are secured together in their assembled relation with respect to the seat standard. a

Ventilating systems for theatres, civic auditoriums and other public and semi-public halls and the like wherein fixed seats are provided are not broadly novel. The so-called mushroom" type of ventilator is well known and is in con- I siderable use. It is however so constructed that herein shown and described rests upon the floor and the difliculty of sweeping and cleaning the floor is thus minimized, Other novel structural features will likewise appear herein.

Referring to the drawings in which like parts of the ventilating construction herein shown are designated by the same numerals in the several views, the floor ID of the hall or auditorium is provided with a series of rows of fixed seats or chairs (not shown) disposed and secured between conventional end standards ll which are provided with front and rear legs I2 and I3 respectively, here shown as of cast metal I-beam construction.

, Beneath certain of the end standards of the seats or chairs there is a flue l5 connecting the hall or auditorium A with the plenum chamber B below the floor [0. This flue is here shown as formed from a pair of substantially identically cast semi-oval shaped members l6, l1, each having upper and lower overhanging peripheral flanged edges l8, 19. Each of these flue members is provided with a trunnion receiving well 20 and the opposite ends of the trunnion 2| of the damper 22 are adapted to fit within the wells 20 when the flue members are fitted and secured together in assembled relation as 'by wires or bands 23. When the several flues have been thus assembled, the concrete floor may be poured flush with the overhanging upper and lower peripheral flanged edges of the assembled flue and as shown in Figures 1 and 4.

Ventilating hoods for each flue are here shown as formed from two identically cast sections 24, 25 secured together in assembled'relation by means of a bolt 26. Thesehoods are disposed above each flue and flush with the floor upon which they rest and a pair of oppositely disposed recesses 21, 28 on either side of the assembled hood received the spaced legs l2, I3 of the seat standard whereby the hood is maintained in its flue.

These hoods in their assembled relation have stepped side walls and a plurality of openings 29. here shown as intersticial in character. A vertical series of fins 30, here show as integrally cast with the side walls of the hood, and extending inwardly-upwardly at an angle therefrom between the intersticial openings, as best shown in Figure 5, provide and form bafiies for deflecting the ventilating air outwardly and downwardly to the floor through the openings of the side walls of the hood.

The hoods are each preferably provided with a pair of spaced apertures 3| through'their domes permitting insertion of a rod therethrough for adjusting the damper 22 which is maintained in adjusted position by the expansion springs 32 encircling both ends of the trunnion 2| of the damper.

position over be readily and conveniently adjusted and that the hoods are so arranged that both convenient cleaning of the floor and space for the feet of occupants is enlarged. The stepped baffl'es'likewise provide for greater diffusion of air and their angular declination diffuses'theair downwardly toward the floor before itrises...

While but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous detail'sof the construction shown may be altered orzomitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the followingclaims;

We claim: a

1., In a ventilating system for theatres or the like, the combination-of a chair standard secured to the theatre floor,'-a plenum chamber flue thereunder, and a hood over said flue comprising complementary sections disposed on opposite sides of said chair standard, said sections each having side walls provided witha plurality of openings therethrough, and a vertical series of baffles disposed substantiallytransversely of the side walls of the hood sections.

2. In a ventilating system "for theatres "or the like, the combination of a chair standard secured to the theatre floor, a plenum chamber flue thereunder, and a hood over said flue'comprising complementary sections disposed on' opposite sides of said chair standard, said'sections each having side walls provided with a pluralityof openings therethrough,*and a vertical series of baffles disposed substantially transversely of the side walls of the hood sections andextending inwardly therefrom.

3. In a ventilating system for'theatres or the like, the combination of a chair standard secured to the theatre floor, a plenum chamber flue thereunder, and a hood over-said'flue comprising complementary sectionsdisposed on opposite sides of said chair standard, said sectionseach having side walls provided with a plurality of openings therethrough, and a vertical series of bafiles disposed at an angle upwardly-inwardly from the side walls of the hood sections. p

4. In a ventilating system for theatres or the .like, the combination of 'a chair standard secured to the theatre floor, aplenum" chamber flue thereunder, and a hood over said flue comprising complementary sections disposed on opposite sides of said chair standard, said sections each having stepped side walls and apluralit y ofside walls of the hood forming a vertical series of baffles disposed substantially transversely of the vertical side walls of the -hood,'e'ach horizontal portion extending inwardly beyond the vertical portion above it.

6. A hood for a ventilating system of the class described having stepped side walls and a plurality of openings through thejyertical portions of its side walls, the'horizontal portions-of the side walls of the hood forming a series of baffies disposed at an angle upwardly-inwardly from the vertical portions of the side walls ofv the hood.

7. In a ventilating system for theatres or the like, the combination of a chair standard secured to the theatre floor, a plenum chamber flue thereseries -of fins integrally formed with the vertical side walls of the hood sections and disposed in parallelism between the several intersticial openings for-forming bafiies to deflect the ventilating air outwardly through the openings of the vertical side walls of the hood sections.

8. In a ventilating system for theatres or the like, the combination of a chair standard secured to the theatre floor, a plenum chamber flue thereunder, and a hood over said flue comprising complementary sections disposed on opposite sides of said chair standard, said sections each having substantially vertically disposed side walls provided with a plurality of horizontally disposed intersticial openings therethrough, and a vertical series of fins integrally formed with the vertical side walls of the hood sections and extending inwardly therefrom and disposed in parallelism between the several intersticial openings for forming battles to deflect the ventilating air-outwardly through the openings of the vertical side walls of the hood sections.

9. In a ventilating system for theatres or the like, the combination of va chair standard secured to the theatre floor, a plenum chamber flue thereunder, and a hood over said flue comprising complementary sections disposed on opposite sides of said chair standard, said sections each having substantially vertically disposed side walls provided with a plurality of horizontally disposed intersticial openings therethrough, and a vertical series of fins integrally formed with the vertical side walls of the hood sections and extending inwardly therefrom upwardly at an angle and disposed in parallelism between the several intersticial openings for forming baffles to deflect the ventilating air outwardly and downwardly through the openings of the vertical side walls of the hood sections. I

'10, A hood for a ventilating system of the class described having stepped side walls and a plurality of intersticial openings through the vertical portions of the side walls of the hood, the horizontally disposed portions of the side walls of the hood forming a vertical series of bafiles extending inwardly from the vertical portions of the side walls of the hood and upwardly at an angle therefrom and disposed in parallelism between the several intersticial openings for defleeting the ventilating air outwardly and downwardly through said openings.

11. A hood for a ventilating system of the class described having stepped side walls and a plurality of openings through the vertical portions of its side walls, the horizontal portions of the side walls'of the hood forming a series of battles disposed at an angle upwardly-inwardly from the vertical portions of the side walls of the hood, each horizontal portion extending inwardly beyond the vertical portion above it.

' JAMES M. VER MEULEN. .GLEN BUCHER. 

